The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to soil tilling apparatus, such as a garden tool having a soil penetrating blade, and more particularly, to tilling apparatus having a pressurized fluid dispensable in a jet stream in proximate relation to the soil penetrating blade of the tool with a shield adjacent the water dispensing end to minimize back splash of water on the user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With garden tilling apparatus, a common tool employed is the garden fork, which has three or four tines or prongs formed as blades of steel with a common transverse interconnection member and a handle extending therefrom. The interconnection member is usually formed integrally with the tines, and is used as a foot engaging edge to urge the tines into penetrating engagement with the soil. The handle is configured for hand gripping to assist in applying downward pressure to the garden fork during tilling. The ability to penetrate the soil with a garden fork is highly dependent on the condition and moisture content of the soil. Once the tines of the fork enter the soil, the fork is pivoted, in the manner of a pry bar, and then the soil on the fork is turned, and the clump of earth broken up. The process is then repeated until the area to be tilled is finished ready for further processing, such as fertilization and planting. With dryer soil, or harder soil, the efforts in tilling with a garden fork may be very strenuous.
Various tools have been devised to assist in gardening. One such apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,525,571, entitled "Irrigating and Spadinf Fork", such patent issuing on Aug. 11, 1924, to Cypert, the device including a tilling fork with a pipe connected at the top of the cross-bar of the tines of the fork, but not at the ends of the tines where they penetrate the earth.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,289,418, entitled "Sub Soil Irrigating Means", issued to Edgerton on Feb. 28, 1964, such patent disclosing a structure in which a hollow box is provided with a fluid coupler for permitting fluid to flow therein; however this device requires that downward force be applied through a handle in order for water to flow through the device.
Another apparatus useful in gardening is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,984, entitled "Garden Tool", such patent issuing to Morasch on Oct. 22, 1962, the device being directed to a hoe-like tool having means for fluid to travel through the extended handle thereof with water outlets at the top cross-bar of the hoe, but not at the penetrating edge of the hoe.
Still another apparatus useful in gardening is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,181,189, entitled "Garden Tool", such patent issuing to Lathan on Sept. 17, 1938, the device being directed to a fork-like tool having means for fluid to travel through the extended handle thereof with a water outlet at the bottom of the handle, but not at the penetrating fingers of the fork. The device of this patent as well as the aforementioned patents are lacking, in that they do not disclose a penetrating member having fluid dispensing means therein at the point of soil penetration to assist in working of the soil, but merely provide some form of conduit for a fluid.
Other fluid dispensing apparatus are shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,113,703, issued Dec. 10, 1963 to Rundle, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,410,457, issued to Brown on Nov. 12, 1968. However, such devices are directed to kitchen tools for enabling dispensing of cooking fluids, such as oil and seasonings, and are not considered relevant to the invention herein.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, it is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a new and improved tined garden tilling tool having means for controllably providing water under pressure adjacent the tips of the tines to assist in tilling the soil, with a shield provided for precluding backsplash of water during use.